Apparatus for reducing and softening bituminous rock



(No Model.)

E. GROAT. APPARATUS FOR REDUCING AND SOFTENING BITUMINOUSYROGK.

Patented Aug. 1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

ELIAS GROAT, 0F SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR REDUCING AND SOFTENING BITUMINOUS ROCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 502,416, dated August 1, 1893.

Application filed March 25, 1892- Serial No. 426,336, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELIAS GROAT,a citizen of the United States, residing at San Luis ()bispo,in the county of San Luis Obispo and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Reducing and Softening Bituminous Rock; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of my said invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, that form part of this specification.

My invention has for its object to produce a portable apparatus for melting and reducing'bituminous rock and other similar substances that are being used at the present time as paving material to cover the surfaces of streets and roads; and my improvements consist in certain construction and combination of parts producing an improved portable apparatus for reducing bituminous rock and bringing the material into a suitable soft and disintegrated condition, for making roadways by the aid of heat, produced by steam alone, which does not come in direct contact with the material being reduced, all as hereinafter fully set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification-Figure 1"- is a side elevation partly in section of my improved apparatus, mounted upon a wheeled truck, for convenience of moving from place to place as the work progresses. Fig. 2- is atop view of tank. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of tank showing means for discharging the prepared material. Fig. lis aview in perspective of a steam stack for the interior of the tank.

This apparatus is specially constructed and adapted for working bituminous rock, a nat ural substance which is used as a paving material, and which requires to be reduced to a soft and yielding mass by heat, before spreading it upon the roadway. To work this material and produce it in such heated condition on the spot, I have mounted my apparatus on a four-wheeled truck, having the necessary steam boiler for furnishing steam, so that the machine can be moved from place to place as the work progresses.

In carrying out my invention I employ an upright iron tank about ten feet high and six feet in diameter with double walls for a surrounding steam jacket. The inner wall of this tank A is made conical at the lower ends as at A so that the reduced material can be easily and quickly discharged when the sliding gates over the lower end of the tank are operated; these gates consist of two flat plates B B which are moved outward and backward between the plates B 13 forming sliding ways, by means of the hand levers O C the inner ends of which are pivoted to the lower plate B of the runway, and to the sliding gates by the pins O 0*, while the outer ends of the levers extend through a slot D, in the frame of the machine, and move in astrap or plateD pinned to the under plate B on that side of the machine.

In order to prevent the material under treatment from packing at the conical end of the tank, I employ a stirrer which consists of a vertical hollow spindle E stepped in a pin a upon the horizontal cross-bar E at the foot of the tank. The lower end of the spindle or stirrer is provided with radial arms a a a a) while the upper end passes up through to the top of the tank or cover, and is operated by a hand-lever or other means as occasion requires.

The stack or coil which I employin my tank is shown in Fig. 4 and it consists of four upright tubes or pipes F F with horizontal and transverse coupled heads or pipes F F Over the ends of these latter pipes or tubes are fitted the segments or curved plates G G, made to conform to the cylindrical condition of the inner wall of the tank, and the whole is made steam-tight Connection of this stack with the steam jacket of the tank is made near the lower end of the inner wall by union couplings H H which permit the steam from the jacket to enter the stack at all times and when the stack isin position a sufficientspace for the action of the arms of the stirrer will be had beneath in the chamber or lower end, and the spindle will extend up within the openings at the foot and head of the stack and enter a hole in the guide-plate I, at the top of the tank. This flanged guide-plate I fits down in a ledge between the inner and outer walls of the tank, and a hinged cover J shuts down over all, up through which the operating spindle of the stirrer projects, and

thus the stack having the end curved plates which fit against the wall of the tank, will conform to the curvature thereof; and the spindle stepped in the lower cross-bar and extending up through the guide-plate I and hinged cover, is prevented from side or lateral movement.

Steam is admitted to the steam jacket from the boiler by means of a pipe K, and all surplus steam that is not required for heating the material under treatment, is taken from the steam jacket through the pipe L, and conducted to an engine, not shown, for driving the elevator M employed for conveying the material to the tank by a belt and pulley connection, while the water of condensation is drawn off through the pipe and cook N, into a tank, to be used in its heated state to supply the boiler.

The upwardly extending curved arms 0 0 will afford bearings for the driving shaft of the elevator, and to the lugs P P a platform is connected to sustain the men engaged in operating the machine.

In practice the material is conveyed to the tank in suitable quantity by the elevator, and the hinged cover shut down, when steam from the boiler is then admitted to the jacket and stack of pipes, in which condition the great heat generated from the steam will soon reduce the material to a plastic and homogeneous state, and in condition fit for use without anyof the material coming in direct contact with the steam. In this condition the sliding gates at the bottom of the tank are vopened and the contents of the tank disbe prevented. Thus it will be seen that no steam whatever will come in contact with the material being reduced or under treatment.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An apparatus for reducing and preparing bituminous rock consisting of a jacketed or double walled steam-tight tank A, with a conical lower end and horizontally sliding discharge gates at the bottom, and having its interior provided with a vertical steam-tight stack connecting with the lower jacket of the tank, by means of couplings at the lower end, and curved supporting plates at both ends which conform to the interior wall of the tank, as hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination with an apparatus for reducing and preparing bituminous rock, consisting of a steam jacketed tank with a conical bottom, and its interior provided with a vertical steam-tight stack connecting with the steam jacket, of the vertical stirrer composed of radial arms or blades, operating in the lower end of the tank beneath the stack,

upon a spindle stepped in a cross-bar at the foot of the tank, as and for the purpose set forth and specified.

3. In an apparatus for reducing and prearin bituminous rock for avin ur oses, b 0

consisting of a double walled steam-tight tank A, steam induction and outlet pipes, pipe N for discharging water of condensation, hinged cover for the reducing chamber, steam-tight stack and stirrer in said chamber, the discharge opening in the bottom of said chamber, and the sliding doors therefor, all constructed and arranged substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

ELIAS GROA'I. [n s.]

Witnesses:

EDWARD E. OSBORN, CHAS. E. KELLY. 

